Deanne Tanksley is a native of North Little Rock, Arkansas and moved to Natchez in March 2003 from Olathe, Kansas. She and her husband, Billy, are raising their family of four canines, and are co-owners of NEx Carpet Care Systems. They are a corporate member of the Natchez-Adams County Chamber of Commerce.

Deanne is a member of the Natchez Garden Club. In addition to keeping the books for NEx Carpet Care Systems, she has been a Certified Public Accountant for 17 years, having been licensed in five states. She has worked for several firms of varying sizes and industry focuses. For a time, she was a sole proprietor and her client base was heavily concentrated in the non-profit industry. Deanne is currently employed by Smith, Turner & Reeves, PA, where she continues to serve local non-profit and governmental entities as an audit manager. Strengthening her background in the non-profit industry is her service to the Mississippi Society of Certified Public Accountants as a member of the Non-Profits Task Force.